This invention relates to the removal of tissue samples or the like from humans or animals, in particular by excising a tissue portion from a tissue.
Biopsy devices are employed in modern medicine to collect tissue samples for examination typically for diagnosis of malignant or pre-malignant cell transformations indicating cancerous or pre-cancerous tumors. The procedure entails identifying the suspect tissue, bringing the biopsy device close to the tissue and depending on the type of action employed to cut and retain the required sample by firing a needle or cannula into the tissue and following up with a secondary action to sever and retain the sample tissue.
While there are multiple examples of biopsy devices currently being used to obtain tissue material for histological examination, the preservation of the sample with respect to tissue quality is sometimes compromised by the mechanical actions employed.
Some of the earlier Automated Core Biopsy Devices used a notched needle to obtain samples. However these yielded limited quantities due to the half round needle as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,154 to Radiplast AB, issued Oct. 13, 1987, also known as the “Tru-Cut” needle, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Others, in an attempt to retrieve full round core have utilized various means to cut and capture those round cores either by vacuum or a series of fingers cut in the wall of the cannula and depressed inward as shown in Patent Application Publication US 2008/0300507 to Stacy Figueredo et al. published Dec. 4, 2008 or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,542 to Anders Weilandt issued Aug. 12, 1997 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,523 to Anders Welandt issued Nov. 27, 2011 by means of an outer cannula with finger like projections that slide into windows cut in an inner tube. All publications and patents mentioned above are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 20100160827, published Jun. 24, 2010, for U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/594,835 having a §371 date of Jan. 27, 2010, to Odoardo Buressiniani (“Buressiniani”), which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a device having an outer cannula and an inner cannula having a plurality of ribs to engage a tissue sample.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,484, issued Jul. 9, 2002 to Michael E. Miller et al (“Miller”), which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a biopsy extractor having an outer cannula with a tapered end and an inelastically bendable portion to allow a head to sever and hold a tissue portion.
While these devices have worked to one degree or another, the issue of maintaining an intact tissue portion that is uncompromised by the engaging, cutting and retention means has not been addressed using the methods and means described herein.